Early on the morning of August 6 2012, a group of scientists held their breath as Curiosity, NASA’s latest Mars rover, streaked through the thin Martian atmosphere in ball of fire. One of those scientists was Dr Penny King a geologist currently working at the Australian National University.

Small Australian native birds are losing food and home to a growing flock of rivals.

The end of the year is nigh and it’s a time for Christmas and New Year parties and gatherings.

Food poisoning is unsurprisingly more common in summer months.

Voluntary programs are all the rage. From ratcheting up cybersecurity to fighting obesity, firms in the United States and elsewhere voluntarily make pledges to do better than governmental regulation.

Our plant biologists are searching for new ways to feed the world’s population.

It’s clear: 2014 has been a scorcher. As well as probably being the hottest year on record globally, regional and local climate records have tumbled too.